A Valued Life
“Devalued” is probably an accurate word to describe how many people feel these days. Companies are making difficult decisions to lay off, furlough, and push for early retirement. This makes people feel they are no longer needed or of value to the company. In addition to this, we are being asked more and more to make choices to what degree people have value in society. What has God to say about this?
Interestingly, following the resurrection of Christ, the first century church faced a society that grossly devalued people for various reasons. They determined a person’s value based on their birth, gender, race, nationality, citizenship, education, status, and work. However, Jesus Christ taught His followers to see value and show respect equally to all people. He was very aware of the bias in the world value system of that day. You were valuable and could impress people with what you possessed or by the amount you had stored up. He once told His followers not to value life based on whether or not you eat the finest and purest of food or wear the finest and most stylish clothes. Jesus concluded by stating that the value of life does not consist of temporary things, but of something far greater (Matthew 6:25-33).
Because people are made in the image of God, they have eternal value… something that only God has given them (Genesis 1:27). Sadly, when human society excludes God from their ideals, they will devalue human life one way or another. But when humans acknowledge their worth because of God, they understand and appreciate that life is a valuable gift from God. PMC “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!” (Luke 12:24)
This thought was written by Paul M.Curtas, General Director of FCAP.
How can any nation or people survive when hatred controls their normal way of life? God described how unchecked anger turns into hatred, and none of us are exempt from this. It starts by entertaining angry thoughts, which when left unchecked reproduce themselves and become hatred. This will affect our character, making us erratic and impulsive in our response to others. When hatred rules our life, we lose our ability to perceive what is good and wholesome. Instead we go so far as to accuse, hurt, and even destroy innocent people. Jesus Christ once addressed a group of religious leaders who were angry at him, because he told them that their anger was the seeds that produce murder (Matthew 5:22). Within a few years after saying this, these same religious leaders, who tenaciously pursued to kill him, falsely accused him before Roman authority and had him executed by crucifixion. The good news is that the love of God through Jesus Christ is the only cure for conquering such anger and hatred. This heart condition is not something we can fix, but only God can solve… when we humbly acknowledge our need of Him to set us free by His saving grace. Consider: “Everyone who continues to commit sin is a slave of sin. But, if the Son (Jesus Christ) sets you free, you will be really free” (John 8:34, 36).